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deer tick repellent? natural...? - mrbigstuff - 05-09-2011
we'll be tent camping this weekend and I'm not sure if I'm properly prepared on the deer tick front. I've read that premetharin is the preferred spray for hunters, but I'm not going to use that stuff on my kids. any alternatives, besides DEET? (which I do have)
I know about the ways to keep out of the tick infested areas, I'm mainly looking for a repellent in addition to the other safety measures.
Re: deer tick repellent? natural...? - freeradical - 05-09-2011
There used to be a vaccine for Lyme disease, but it looks like it's no longer made.
Maybe it's because the efficacy of the vaccine is so low, and it only provides protection for a limited amount of time.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/resources/handbook.pdf
"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a human Lyme disease vaccine, LYMErix™ (GlaxoSmithKline), which contained recombinant outer-surface protein A (OspA) of B. burgdorferi, in December 1998. However, the manufacturer took the vaccine off the market in February 2002 because of declining sales. In clinical trials, vaccine ef.cacy was 49% after 2 doses for those with de.nite Lyme disease and 76% after the third dose. Protection in an immunized individual was provided when levels of antibody to OspA in the blood were high enough to neutralize the spirochetes inside a feeding tick before transmission occurred. Protection in vaccinated individuals will wane after a year or two, so protection against Lyme disease in previously vaccinated people will be nonexistent."
Re: deer tick repellent? natural...? - edgarbc1 - 05-09-2011
put your kids in a plastic bubble....
how about just checking them when they come back from
the woods or weeds or other...thats what my pop used to do.
Re: deer tick repellent? natural...? - anonymouse1 - 05-09-2011
1. The Lyme vaccine caused a bunch of people to get arthritis.
2. You can get other things besides Lyme; Ehrlichiosis, for instance.
3. Lyme, if untreated, can cause death, brain infection, heart infection, and other horrible results. Using the effing DEET. And do a tick check after every walk in the woods.
My wife has chronic Lyme, and it can be really, really nasty--brain-scrambling, life-weakening nasty. My wife is getting good treatment, and it's taking years to work. Don't mess around with ticks.
Re: deer tick repellent? natural...? - Uncle Wig - 05-09-2011
Why won't you use premetharin?
If you're not going to use that or DEET, leave the kids home.
edgrbc1, the deer ticks prevalent these days are about the size of a poppy seed and are very easy to miss even with close inspection.
Re: deer tick repellent? natural...? - Mike Johnson - 05-09-2011
I'm super sensitive to DEET, so I've tried every repellent on the market. Picaradin works; none of the other stuff does. I don't think Picaradin is any safer to people than DEET, but it doesn't irritate or burn my skin. Oil of lemon eucalyptus has been shown to work in some studies, but not in my personal experience. Most everything else (skin-so-soft & like) is snake oil.
Permethrin isn't a repellent, and it isn't something you put on your skin. It's an insecticide spray for your clothing. I find it indispensable, and I'm sorry you won't consider it.
Re: deer tick repellent? natural...? - mrbigstuff - 05-09-2011
I won't be spraying my kids with a known neurotoxin, even if it may have a great effect on ticks, since probability of a tick bite is low whereas spraying with a neurotoxin is a known harm.
thanks for the wiseass remarks, edgarbc1, you're help is indispensable!
Re: deer tick repellent? natural...? - rjmacs - 05-09-2011
Mike Johnson wrote:
Permethrin isn't a repellent, and it isn't something you put on your skin. It's an insecticide spray for your clothing. I find it indispensable, and I'm sorry you won't consider it.
Permethrin is a neurotoxin that is persistent after application. It's best to have dedicated "hiking clothes" that you treat and wear each time you hike, rather than spraying outfits each time you go out. You can also purchase permethrin-treated fabrics (a good treatment will last several washings). If you decide to spray it yourself, please be sure that you take care not to inhale the fumes when applying it. Also, keep it and any treated fabrics far from pet cats, birds, or fish/fish tanks - it is toxic to these animals. Permethrin is a likely low-level carcinogen and there are documented possible links to Parkinson's-like disease in lab animals. I'm not saying it's going to kill you or hurt your children - but like all toxic chemicals, it should be handled with caution.
Visual inspections for deer ticks are a pain, and time-consuming, and depending on your temperament, a bit embarrassing (you DO have to check ALL your nooks and crannies, and you can't get to all of them yourself). They are tiny, but you can find them if you really look.
Best of luck choosing a method that works for you. I personally think that DEET and/or permethrin are safe enough to use if you are careful, but i am not dealing with kids. To be safe, i would still do basic visual inspections on returning home, and teach your kids (if they are old enough to do this) to examine themselves, too.
Re: deer tick repellent? natural...? - AllGold - 05-09-2011
DEET is far safer than Lyme disease, IMHO.
Mosquitos probably won't be a problem yet but later in the season DEET will be a necessity.
Re: deer tick repellent? natural...? - mrbigstuff - 05-09-2011
I will use DEET (wasn't clear on that in OP) and I will check each kid frequently, but I would prefer to use something like lemon oil or some such if it's reasonably effective. after all, staying home is the other option and that is not an option.